Why We Wait: Delaying Baby's First Bath
- Chelsea Lactation & Postpartum Care
- Jul 14, 2025
- 3 min read
Updated: Aug 12, 2025
When you picture your newborn baby, you might imagine them fresh and clean, all swaddled up tight. So it might surprise you when your birth team suggests holding off on that first bath.
Delaying your baby’s first bath isn’t just a trend—it’s evidence-based, and it comes with real benefits for both your baby and your breastfeeding journey. Here's why:
1. Your baby is born with a built-in moisturizer and germ shield
That waxy, white coating on your baby’s skin is called vernix. It forms during pregnancy and plays an important role in protecting your baby’s skin in the womb—and after birth. Vernix is full of antimicrobial proteins and acts as a natural barrier against bacteria and water loss. Washing it off right away takes away that protection before your baby’s skin has finished adjusting to life outside the womb.
2. Bathing too soon can mess with your baby’s body temperature and blood sugar
Newborns are still figuring out how to regulate their body temperature and glucose levels. Taking a warm, wet baby and placing them in cool air for a bath—even a gentle one—can cause cold stress. That cold stress can use up energy and drop their blood sugar, sometimes triggering a cascade of interventions, like glucose testing, formula supplementation, or even NICU admission. A bath can wait. Keeping baby skin-to-skin with you is far more stabilizing in those early hours.
3. Early bathing can interrupt skin-to-skin time and breastfeeding
Skin-to-skin contact is the foundation of breastfeeding. It helps your baby latch, helps your milk come in, and calms both of you after birth. A routine bath in the first hours after birth can mean separation—sometimes a long one. Delaying the bath protects that precious golden hour (or two… or four).
4. Babies smell like home
This one might seem small, but it matters: your baby’s scent is uniquely designed to bond with you. It helps you recognize them, respond to them, and it even helps your body release oxytocin—which is important for milk let-down. That newborn smell isn’t something to scrub away. It’s part of biologically normal bonding.
So when should we bathe them?
Hospitals that practice delayed bathing usually wait at least 12–24 hours, sometimes longer if baby is stable and breastfeeding is still getting established. Once baby is warm, fed, and your milk is coming in, a gentle bath can be a lovely bonding moment. You can even help with it, if you want to.
What if my baby had a rough birth or needed NICU care?
That’s okay. In those cases, the focus is always on safety and stabilization first. But even then, it’s worth asking: Does my baby need a bath right now? And if not, delaying might still be an option.
A few take-home tips:
Ask your birth team about their bathing policy before baby arrives.
Let them know you'd like to delay the bath and prioritize skin-to-skin time.
If your baby needs to be cleaned up a little, a gentle wipe down is fine—vernix doesn’t need to be scrubbed off.
Consider helping with the first bath once you’re all settled, warm, and connected.
Delaying your baby’s first bath is one of those small choices that can make a big difference.
It supports breastfeeding. It keeps your baby close. And it reminds everyone that this new little human isn’t just a patient—they’re your baby. And they already belong to you.
